Improvement in sewing-machines for working button-holes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHERMAN OLEMINSHAW, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SE WING-MACHINES FOR WORKING BUTTON-HOLE B.

Specijcatz'on forming part of Letters Patent No. 110,7 39, dated January 3, 1871.

To alt whom tt may concern Be it known that I, SHERMAN OLEMIN- SHAW, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Sew-` in g-Machines and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactv description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of sewingmachines which is used toV make button-holes, and more particularly on linen goods, such as collars, cuffs, Ste.; and its nature consists, first, in a needle so arranged that while it moves through the goods it is rigid, but when above the goods, or while standing still in the same, it is loose; second, in the construction of a combined shuttle and needle; third, in the mode of securing the combined shuttle and needle to the needle-arm fourth, in the construction and arrangement of the twister, for-forming the loop below the goods after the needle has passed through the same; fifth, in the mode of operating the twister; sixth, in the construction and arran gement of a carrier, which takes the loop from the twister and passes it over the shuttle and seventh, inthe construction and arrangement of an elongated presser-foot, with lever attached, all of which j will be hereinafter more fully ,set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the entire machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the machine, showing the twister and carrier 5 and Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the combined needle and shuttle.

A represents the sewing-machine table resting upon suitable legs, and having the driving-shaft B arranged underneath, with the driving-wheel O at its outer end. Upon the shaft B the eccentricallygrooved wheel D, in which works a pin upon the lower end of the pivoted lever E, which operates the needlearm G vertically up and down in the guide H, upon the inner end ofthe L-shaped standard I. Upon the driving-shaft B is also an eccentric, J, which, by means of the crankconnection K, operates the feed-bar L.

I do not deem it necessary to further describe the above parts, as they, with the take- 1 up arrangement M, operate by a pin .on the needle-bar G, are all old and well known, and

I lay noelaim td`v these various devices.

'At the lower end of the needle-arm G is formed a box, N, open at the rear side and slotted in the bottom from the rear forward,

in which box is placed the shuttle O, with y' needle-arm, so that the spring can readily be' thrown away from the shuttle and the shuttle removed when desired.

Within the shuttle O is placed the bobbin g, and suitable tension of the thread is produced by the spring f bearing against the edge of said bobbin.

4The thread passes from the bobbin g, through a hole, h, in the front side of the shuttle,l then back into the shuttle through a lower hole, t', and then through a groove in the shuttle down to the needle b, which is secured in the under side of the shuttle by a set-screw, 7c, as shown in Fig. 3. 2

It will be seen that the spring e, which connes the shuttle in the box N, does not hold it rigid, but the shuttle, with the needle, is loose for a purpose that will be hereinafter described.

When, however, the needle passes through the cloth, it is made rigid, by means ofa roller, m, surrounded by rubber and placed upon an adjustable pin or journal on the side of a bar, P, which extends downward from the standard I, as shown. y

This roller is so placed thatthe'spring e will bear against the outside ofthe roller and press the shuttle against the bearings a a, whereby the needle becomes perfectly rigid.

The roller m is so adjusted in av slot on the bar P, that after the needlepoint has passed through the cloth the spring e goes down below the roller, making the shuttle loose again, while the needle'is stationary and the loop is formed and carried over the shuttle.

R represents the plate upon which the cloth isv laid; and S is the presser-foot, which is elongated or attached to a bar, T.

This bar is pivoted at a, as shown, and under its outer end. is placed a spiral sprin g, p, which presses the presser-foot s down on the goods on the plate R.

By a cam-lever, U, operating on the upper side of the bar T, directly above the spiral or other spring p, the pressenfoot may be held up for putting in or taking out the work.

On the presserfoot S is a steel point, I, which acts as a guide for the work.

The work is doubled around the pressenfoot S, so that one side of the button-hole is above and the other below the presser-foot. Y The partabove the presser-foot is held out of the way for the needle by means of a guidewire, r, attached to a bar, s, which slides in a box, V, pivoted 011 the plate It.

When the needle b descends it becomes rigid, by the means above described, just as it is to penetrate the goods. It then goes down through the goods the necessary length, be-

coming loose as soon as the eye has passed through the goods. It then rises a short distance, so as to allow the thread to form the loop below the cloth, the needle and shuttle remaining loose.

The loop thus formed by the thread is caught by a small hook, t, on Vthe twister W, which turns around, letting the thread fall into a hori zontal circumferential groove on the twister.

The twister W consists of a round head, placed on the upper end of a vertical flat bar, X, which is below the plate or table A of the sewing-machine, while the head or twister is between the table A andthe plate l.

The lower end of the at bar Xis formed in the shape of an auger, Y, and turns on a pivot in its bearing at u.

The twister is operated by means of two pins, t c, projecting one on each side of the bar X from ahead, w, which is adjusted upon a vertically-sliding bar, Z.

This sliding bar is moved up and down by means of an eccentrically-grooved cam-wheel, A,.upon. the driving-shaft B, a pin upon the outer forked end of a lever, B, working in said groove, and the forked end of said lever surrounding a pin on the rear side of the sliding bar Z. l

The other end of the lever B is pivoted at the lower end of a post, C', which projects downward from the lower side of the table A.

It will be noticed that the sliding-bar Z may move up and down without turning the twister W, as long as the pins t r only move at the side of the bar X; but when these pins descend to the anger Y the twister W is turned, as above mentioned, so as to allow the hook t to catch the loop and deposit the thread in the circumferential groove on the twister.

Below the auger Y is a continuation of the flat-bar X, so that when the pins c 'u pass below the auger, the twister will be heldin the position to which it has been turned., until the pins ascend again, when it is returned to its original position by the reverse motion of the auger.

Upon the upper end of the sliding bar Z is attached a horizontal plate, upon which are adjusted the carriers w m, which are made each of metal plate, with a wire at the front end, the outer end `of said wire being turned upward as a hook.

As the bar Z descends and turns the twister W and the thread is deposited in the circumferential groove on the saine, and the twister held stationary, the hook ends of the carriers :v a' pass down in vertical grooves on the outside of the twister, as shown in Fig. 2, until the ends of the hooks come below the thread, when the carriers at once rise again, catching the thread and lifting it up above the twister.

As soon as the thread has been cleared from the twister, the twister resumes its original position, the carriers in the meantime rising with the thread, and as soon as the twister has been brought back to its iirst position, the needle descends to its lowestpoint, the carriers continuing to rise until they are above the rear end of the shuttle. During this motion the thread is brought, asa loop, under the 'spring e and over the upper curved side of the shuttle. As the needle now ascends, the takeup M operates to tighten the stitch.

It will be seen that when the carriers de posit the thread on the upper edge of the shuttle, the shuttle and needle are loose, to allow the thread passage around the shuttle within the box N. If the needle and shuttle y were rigid the thread could not pass. Then,

as the needle-arm moves upward the shuttle is lshuttle and needle firmly while ait passes through the goods, but leaves it free to move when above the goods, to allow the thread to pass around it, as herein set forth.

2. The shuttle O, constructed as described, and provided with bobbin g, spring f, holes It i, and needle b, all` substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The box N, constructed as described, and provided with bearings a a, spring e, and lever d, for securing the combined needle and shuttle, substantial] y as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. In combination with the spring e, the roller m, made adjustable, and arranged to make the needle and shuttle rigid at the proper time, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

with point l, bar T, spring p, and cam-lever U,

all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

9. In combination with the presser-foot S, guide-wire 1*, bar s, and pivoted box V, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth. y l

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of June, 1 S70.

SHERMAN CLEMINSHAW.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, C. L. EVERT. 

